The Buzz

Brunch gets bigger and better

The Brunch on the Beach event on Kalakaua Avenue will be even bigger the second time around. More than 5,000 people attended the first brunch last month in the city- and Waikiki Improvement Association-sponsored drive to attract more Hawai'i residents to the district. This time, the number of tables will double to 330 and more restaurants will offer edibles. Sheraton Hotels, Duke's, Seafood Village, Hyatt Regency, Pacific Beach Hotel, Antonio's Steak, Ribs & Pasta and the Hilton Hawaiian Village will return with food booths. Added fare will include:

• Kalua pig, cabbage and rice from Davey Jones Ribs.
• Macadamia-crusted french toast and grilled 'opakapaka tostadas from the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort.
• Grilled catch of the day with firecracker shrimp sauce and coconut jasmine rice, and Oriental chicken salad from Sunset Terrace restaurant.
• Iced coffee, iced macadamia latte, iced mocha and other drinks from Skyline Cafe.

Entertainment will include the strolling Na Ho'o Keli, Baba Alimoot & Chris Kamaka; and Halau Na Mamo O Pu'uanahulu, Maunalua, Amy Hanaiali'i Gilliom and The Makaha Sons.

Free trams will shuttle brunchers from the Waikiki Shell and the zoo parking lots. The Waikiki Trade Center, on Seaside Avenue mauka of the Waikiki Twins theaters, is offering $1 parking beginning at 6 a.m.

Brunch on the Beach takes place 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday from Ka'iulani to around Lili'uokalani avenues. It's free, but food must be purchased with scrip (scrip sales begin at 9:30 a.m. and the tickets can be used at later brunches, too — the next is scheduled for Oct. 14). Don't forget to wear your sunscreen. 523-4385.

String things

Guitar fans, this is your lucky weekend:

• William Coulter and Benjamin Verdery will take listeners on a journey of traditional, classical, Celtic and original music under the stars in the central courtyard of the Honolulu Academy of Arts. Coulter has toured and recorded since 1981; Verdery has been the chairman of the Guitar Department at Yale University since 1985. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. today. Tickets are $15 general, $12 for museum members, seniors and students. 532-8700.
• Slack-key guitarist George Kuo, the Dancing Cat recording artist, offers a concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Hawai'i Public Radio's Atherton Performing Arts Studio, 738 Kaheka St. Tickets are $15 general, $12.50 for HPR members, $10 students. 955-8821.

Communicating

Hawaii's Sign Language Festival 2001 takes place 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday at the 'Ohi'a Building of Kapi'olani Community College, on the slopes of Diamond Head. It will include free sign-language workshops, cooking demonstrations, entertainment, keiki activities, food booths, crafts and exhibits. Everyone is welcome, regardless of hearing ability. The educational event, which is in its fifth year, is free, except for an outdoor concert, 6-8 p.m., which is $5. 926-4763.

Pau hana

Another Friday, another reason to celebrate after work at today's Aloha Friday Pau Hana Show, 5:30-7 p.m. at the Sheraton Moana Surfrider hotel. Performers Jerry Santos (above), Sean Na'auao and Frank Hewett will take the spotlight. The event, broadcast live on KORL 99.5 FM and hosted by Kimo Kahoano, offers cocktail and pupu service at pau hana prices in the Banyan Court. A Hawaiian buffet dinner also is available, at $35 per person, on the Banyan Veranda. 922-3111. The Advertiser is a sponsor.

Regal bearing

The O'ahu Aloha Festivals Royal Court will receive the symbols of its reign during an investiture ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Honolulu Hale (City Hall). The event is free and open to the public. 589-1771.

Punk it up

"Positive Mechanism," a new compact disc by Hawai'i punk rock band the Knumbskulls, gets a grand launch with a party 6-9 p.m. Saturday at The Shelter, 1739 Kalakaua Ave. The Sticklers, Lose Money and the Quintessentials also will perform. This event is for fans of all ages. $5. 834-6886.

Worlds apart

Carrie Smith and Betty Burdick are an alienated daughter and mother in "The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds," opening Thursday at the Yellow Brick Studio, 625 Keawe St. in Kaka'ako. The tale, a Pulitzer Prize winner in 1971 and a 1972 feature film starring Joanne Woodward and directed by Paul Newman, is about an eccentric widow and her two daughters. The drama takes the stage at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and at 4 p.m. Sundays, through Sept. 9. Tickets are $10; on Thursdays, a two-for-one student price will prevail. Seating is limited; reservations are suggested. 591-7999.